Camping at the YAAK

Well we have successfully been camping twice this summer, hoping to fit in one more trip before the kids, John and I start school again. Our first trip was just for one night John and I decided that our 30 year old bones don't sleep well on the ground. This time around we made sure to buy air mattress and we all slept better even Caden. Caden is my professional camper, he was made to be outside in the dirt, I have never seen him so happy just sitting in a dirt pile with his shovel. He didn't even try to swim with the girls all he wanted was his shovel and bucket. The girls on the other hand needed to be entertained, fortunately they found their entertainment in the YAAK River. I like saying YAAK it sounds like you have something in your throat. They also loved coming up with skits for John and I, I was proud of Payten she learned her lines and was able to be included in the big girls fun. John and I learned a lesson from some old timers, after talking about them collecting twigs all day, we learned that night, that their fire was awesome and our fire wood fire was small and struggling. John and I went out and collect some twigs and soon had a blazing fire. Those old timers knew what they were doing after all! I love getting to spend time with my kids and hubby, we learn to work together, good old family time can be really fun and enjoyable. I can't believe that it's already August and that winter is soon approaching, a good attitude is whats going to get me threw this winter.

Puppy for Payten???

Since I last blogged Payten was kinda sleeping in her bed, well I'm happy to report that she has found her way back to our bed. The other night she even woke me up because she wanted to use my arm as her pillow. My next line of defense is to buy her a puppy (yeah I said PUPPY) for her birthday if she stays in her bed. So far we're not getting a dog :) I'm almost to the point where I'm going to lock my bedroom door at night, however I feel to guilty if she really needed us.

One Little White LIE

A week ago I found a mouse in my room, for those of you who know me know that I don't do mice of any kind. I screamed like the girl I am, scaring John to death. We closed the bedroom door and had a plan to capture our new house guest, well he had plans of his own and wiggled his body underneath our door and now was free inside the rest of the house. We looked for a while and concluded that he got down in the basement. When the electricians updated some of the outlets they drilled small golf ball holes in the hard wood leading to the basement. NICE right, John has since then filled the holes with something that fills holes! Anyway here is when my WHITE LIE comes in!

Payten refuses to sleep in her own bed, we move her to her bed three-four times a night until we just give in. (Insert lie) Payten honey a mouse lives in mommies room under her bed. If you don’t want the mouse to get you AKA eat your face, you have to sleep in your room because mice DO NOT LIKE PINK!! They won’t go in your room at night because your entire bed is PINK! To my awesomeness she has been sleeping in her own room all night long, she’s too afraid to even venture into my room. John almost ruined my plan when he told Payten that he killed the mouse and that night we had her sleeping right between us. The next morning he faked a mouse sighting and my plan was on track again. All I have to do is make sure she doesn’t wear pink jammies or else she feels safe enough to sleep with us. Yep I lied to my three year old; however it’s all in the name of SLEEP!

Saying Goodby to Sister Wives

For six and a half months I had the honor of living with my mom, and Crystal's family. In so many ways we were sister wives, without the sharing our husbands part! Crystal would clean the bathrooms and John and I would cook. One person was ALWAYS doing laundry while the other was watching the kids. Most people couldn't live with 14 other people, but we did it and had a good time. I got to know my nephews and nieces and had the chance to see Crystal as a mom. Over all it was fun and enjoyable. But like all good things they can't last forever, after talking to Haven on the phone one night John knew that she needed him back in Montana. The decision didn't come as easily to me, of course I didn't want Haven sad, but the selfish me didn't want to leave AZ, my home for the past 30 years. However how could I refuse Haven her dad and sister's and brother, especially when she was hurting so bad. The day after Easter we left AZ and I did okay up until we hit the Utah boarder, that's when I began to cry. With a prayer in my heart I asked my Heavenly Father to allow me to be brave. Sometimes it's hard for me, however all I have to do is see how HAPPY Haven is and I'm reassured that we made the right choice. Winter, yep its going to suck, but I have to be BRAVE.

Do your HW JESSICA

Just a quick update, summer thus far has been a blast. We have been busy almost every weekend exploring our new environment. On father's day we hiked the Ross Creek Cedar's that was amazing and a lot of fun. The following weekend we enjoyed our communities Loggers Day celebration, which ended in a carnival the kids loved it. I love finding CHEAP things to do with my family, we have walked the Libby Dam and seen the "beach" we love grilling hot dogs and smores on an open flame and lastly we ride our bikes daily to the park and I push the girls on the tire swing until they want to throw up! Thats it for now I need to get my HW done !

SUMMER KICK OFF 2011

Tomorrow Kaitlen will officially be done with third grade! Haven doesn't get out until the 9th! Both girls rocked this year and we are proud of them. I can't believe that our girls are going into the fourth grade, heck I remember fourth grade. Can I be old if I remember being 9 years old? Anyway I just want to let them know how proud of them I am and I can't wait to have them home for the summer. This will be our first summer in Montana with Haven, I'm looking forward to it. We have already encountered a cougar, dozens of elk and deer. My mother in-law has a bear that visits her place and John found a snakes house on Monday that the kids like to watch now. Over all summer has started out pretty good in Big Sky Country! I'm hoping to try fishing, and smores on a camp fire and not a charcoal grill! However it needs to stop raining long enough for us to see some SUN SHINE!!!

PS. Love and Miss you ALL!

It Was The Year 1915

This is hard without pictures but I’ll try. After doing some goggling we know that our house was built in 1915, and the wood burn down in the basement has a paten stamp February 8, 1916. Our house is almost 100 years old and in many aspects it looks it. For instance the bathroom doesn’t have any electric outlets, because in 1915 woman didn’t need a blow-dryer or curling irons. Also the house doesn’t have 3 prong outlets we have had to buy adapters for everything.  The glass in the windows is blurry because glass back then wasn’t as perfect as it is today. When looking through it you feel like you’re on a boat.  Also the fixtures are dated; I have never seen lamps, light switches, door knobs or windows like this before. Our windows open using a rope hinge, it’s pretty cool. The floors have the original wood therefore they squeak with every step.  Overall I’m in love with this place, the bathtub has been updated and so has the kitchen stove.  Okay now for the ScArY part, our basement is unfinished and OLD. I hate going down there and until yesterday I didn’t have to. But we got our washer and dryer installed yesterday and now I have to. BTW that was an all-day choir getting a 1915 house equipped for a washer and dryer! So the basement has thee creepiest toilet and shower in it, we refuse to pee down there. Also the wood burner is a Freddy Krueger burner, it scares me to death. The lighting is bad and the new oil heater makes horrible noses, it’s so creepy. Just how important is clean clothes? Overall we LOVE this old house our girls have the ENTIRE up stairs, there is two bedrooms up stairs one is HUGE the three girls share and the other room is toys. I’m jealous I love it up there. Caden, John and I we sleep down stairs, and we have a computer/exercise room.  This place may be old and make scary sounds, but overall I love it!